Drown
by theydidntstaydead
Summary: Cordelia is harbouring feelings for Misty, and everything changes for her when Misty reveals that she knows.


Evenings were very rapidly becoming my favorite time of day, especially now that November had drawn in. The end of autumn was always my favorite with the trees standing mostly bare, stretching their vacant limps to embrace the frosty air rippling across the landscape. As days retired into later hours, I adored watching as the sky illuminated with soft lilacs, which poured into crimson and magenta in ways too beautiful to even conceive. Hank's jet-setting lifestyle and Fiona's usual absence meant that I always spent this time of year by myself, but even if I wasn't alone in the coven, I doubt I'd receive their company anyhow. However, I enjoyed the comfort of solitude. Losing hours on end in the greenhouse was an activity I preferred to be undisturbed. It was my sanctuary, where I could feel normal for once in my life, away from the dramatics and corruption that consumed the rest of my hollow existence.

I gently pulled leaves from one of the plants I kept in a vast collection of herbs, being careful to set each one to the side. Today had mostly revolved around preparing for a new mud concoction I'd wanted to try, but until now had never had the patience for. The night was drawing in and the ensembles of crickets were already harmonizing under the fading sunset. Despite the air declining into coldness, I could feel the flush pressing in my cheeks and warmth collecting under the skin. Pausing for a moment, I took off the sweater protecting my white blouse, before continuing to pluck leaves into my collection.

Stevie Nicks echoed around the room and bounced off the walls as if her voice was designed to absorb space. Across the room from me, Misty hummed along to the artist, which she insisted on playing repetitively. Although, I would by lying if I said I found it irritating. Misty's arrival and her eagerness to dive into spells with nature gave me the motivation I had recently been lacking. Her presence, particularly amongst living organisms, was soothing and it felt incredible just sharing space with her. Spending time with her, I could feel myself gradually falling into complete awe of the powers she possessed and her immense ability. It felt ironic that I was the one teaching her when I felt like she had so much to teach me. Having Misty around made me feel at ease even in situations where I would usually prefer to be alone, hence why I let her work so closely with me in the greenhouse.

Misty suddenly stepped away from the worktop and stretched her arms above her head before rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands. "Are you alright?" I said, looking up at her.

Her hair cascaded down her shoulders in waves of gold that could probably have glittered in the right lighting. She was wearing a lace shawl, which she wrapped around a pastel, floral dress. Turning to me, a light smile spread across her lips. "Yeah, I'm fine," she sighed, "I don't know about you, but I'm super tired."

I nodded in agreement and stepped away from what I was doing. I scooped up the leaves I'd gathered into my hands, "Yeah, it's probably time we called it a day." Misty padded across the greenhouse to my side as I placed the leaves into a container I'd prepared earlier. When she got closer to me, I felt my hands start to shake so I quickly finished and put them in my pockets to hide it from her. I always got incredibly nervous around Misty without being able to help it. Every time she was less than a metre away from me, I'd inexplicably start trembling. Trying to disguise my nervous disposition, I turned to face her and smiled. "So," I gulped hard, and swallowed the tremor in my throat, "do you want some coffee?"

"I don't really drink coffee," she smiled apologetically, "but I'll take tea if you've got it." She drifted past me close enough so I could smell her. It was like a mixture between pine needles and the freshness in the air that comes before heavy rainfall. My faltered briefly, but I shook it off and followed her to the kitchen.

Misty twirled around the vast white space to the remnants of Stevie still present in the walls. I couldn't stop the brief smile before I turned my attention to the coffee machine. There was something about her that just made me feel so good about myself and I couldn't help but smile at everything she did. It was like Misty's soul was dripping with positivity and exposing myself to her meant that I was able to dive into the realms of her entity and take my own slither of happiness. Without letting myself get too carried away, I searched for tea, finding a few boxes of herbals we kept stored away. "Peppermint?" I asked her, taking the box and holding it out towards her.

She looked at the box and walked towards it as she accepted it into both hands. "Perfect," she whispered, locking her eyes with mine and smiling widely so that the corners of her mouth creased. As she waltzed away, I fixated on her dancing across the kitchen. The way she moved was like her body was entwined with the natural rhythm of the universe and it was then that I noticed how her dress hugged her waist; it was only her shawl obstructing the silhouette.

Before I could embarrass myself completely by staring for an obnoxiously long time, I heard the coffee machine bounce into life and I turned my back to Misty. Closing my eyes, I took a few deep breaths in an attempt to settle my aching heart. I hadn't felt like this in a long time. In fact, I doubt I'd ever even felt this way about anyone; even my own husband. All the signs were there. I was falling. Hard. Normally, I'd redirect my hatred of my own feelings towards the person, but something about Misty prevented me from doing that. Having feelings for a member of the coven was something that I never considered to be appropriate. Despite how it wasn't a traditional school setting, something still didn't feel quiet right, even without the age difference. However, my infatuation for Misty happened the moment she took my hand in hers and I was granted a glimpse inside her soul. Now that I was no longer blind, being able to see her face was only making it worse. I was finding myself less and less able to control the fires she was setting inside of me.

Collecting all the restraint I had, I managed to make us both drinks. Misty drifted into the living room and naturally, I followed her. Misty sat herself down cross-legged on the sofa and twisted her body so that she was facing me when I took the seat next to her. She cradled her mug in her hands and smiled at me intently. After a few moments of silence she finally spoke, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," I met her eyes and smiled back at her. The sparkle in Misty's eyes radiated delight and contentment, which made me smile wider even though I didn't want to. Her pale skin glowed orange in the dim light and highlighted her sharp cheekbones.

"Did you always know you were all magical and shit?" She finished her question with a giggle and took a sip of her tea. My eyes flickered down to her throat when she swallowed, but the urge to reach out and touch her made me look away.

"Well," I sighed, "when your mother is the supreme, there isn't really much room for a spontaneous discovery." Misty nodded in understanding. I had never put much thought into how different my experiences were to other witches. Honestly, I couldn't work out if having Fiona as my mother gave me a particular advantage or disadvantage. Misty tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked down at her cup. My heart jolted with the feeling of her distancing so I quickly spoke up, "Did you?"

"I mean, I kinda figured it out," Her gaze found mine once again, allowing relief spread over me, "Where I grew up, the kids used to kill animals for sport and when they didn't stay dead around me it wasn't hard to guess." Misty's care for life, human or otherwise, was something I found admirable. Quite a few times in my life I'd been guilty of feeling indifferent towards the wellbeing of others. Maybe Misty balanced out the bad parts of me.

Without letting my mind go on too much of a tangent, I shook away the ideas of Misty and moved to sit on the edge of the couch. "You know, I'm actually much more tired than I thought. I think I'm going to go to bed."

I went to put my mug down on the table in front of me when Misty interrupted my action. "But you haven't finished your coffee-" She leant forward and placed her hand on my thigh, which triggered a sharp intake of breath from my lungs. I froze, unable to focus on anything but her hand. She felt warm and it was like I was melting under her touch. Misty chortled, "So it's true."

I looked up at her. She made me feel like my ribcage was clamped and the air was literally being forced out of me, "What's true?"

"You like me." My jaw dropped. I wanted to defend myself but my throat closed. Unable to produce any sort of reply, I could neither confirm nor deny her statement. All that escaped me was shallow breaths. "You know, your thoughts aren't exactly private here." Suddenly, it hit me. I'd forgotten about the other witches being able to hear thoughts. _Who else knew about my feelings for Misty? Did everyone know?_

I suddenly felt exposed and my instinct to get out kicked in immediately. I quickly stood out from under Misty's touch and made for the door. "Goodnight Misty," I called behind me, not bothering to look back. The heat from behind my eyes was so overwhelming, I couldn't tell whether or not I'd cry. I felt embarrassed more than anything; I hadn't realized I was being was so damn obvious. Not being in complete control of my feelings and emotions was something I wasn't accustomed to, so my bewilderment in this situation just made me want to escape.

I hurried to my room and locked the door behind me. Not knowing what to do, I lay down on the bed and curled myself into a ball. My panicked thoughts raced around my head and the longing to disappear enveloped my desires. As much as I'd wanted to tell Misty, there were still parts of me that didn't want her to know, which is why I'd kept it a secret; or rather, why I tried to keep it secret. None of the scenarios I'd put together in my head involved Misty confronting me, which offered an explanation as to why I was taken so violently off guard. I pressed my eyes shut, trying to ignore the screams in my head and blocking the tears leaving my eyes. I was consumed with numbness, and all I could do was lie in the darkness as I tried to come to terms with what had just happened.

* * *

It took several hours before I allowed myself to break from my tight fetal position. My eyes were swollen and sticky from crying, and every muscle in my body felt tired. I almost felt bad for running away from Misty like that, but it was the only thing I could do in my state of blind panic. Now that most of the panic had subsided however, I was left with guilt and nerves. I had to speak to Misty. I couldn't leave it until morning.

I brushed myself off and quickly glanced in the mirror. Luckily, the scars around my eyes disguised the fact I'd been crying. Creeping out of my room, I was careful in treading lightly on the wooden floor. Misty's room was at the end of the corridor, so it didn't take long to sneak past the other rooms. The silence consuming the space around me let me know that it was safe to assume everyone was sleeping. As I got closer, I could feel the nerves in my gut swarming. This was probably a bad idea.

Knocking three times, I took a deep breath and prayed she was awake. I'm not sure I could have dealt with going in and waking her up. However, after a few short moments she opened the door. Unlike myself, she had dressed into nightwear. A thin, white, linen dress hung from her body and stopped to expose her knees. It was loosely fitted and fastened at the front with small, grey buttons. Jewelry was absent from their usual places, which made her look bare. Her hair was tousled and fell in loose curls on her shoulders. "I couldn't sleep," I whispered, nervous not only by Misty, but by the prospect of disturbing slumbers. Without saying anything in reply, she stepped to one side to let me through the doorway. I took a final glance around me before entering, and she was quick to shut the door behind us.

Misty had yet to make the room her own. Obviously, she'd not been here very long and we didn't know how long she'd stay, but it lacked her essence somehow. I sat myself on the end of the bed and avoided eye contact with her. "How did you know?" I said, lacking anything better to say.

"Nan told me," she replied, folding her arms and making her way over to sit next to me. She lowered herself onto bed quietly and with her added weight to the mattress, my heart began to race.

"Look," I started, turning to face her slightly, "I'm sorry that you found out. It's incredibly inappropriate of me and the last thing I'd want to do is make you feel uncomfortable." I nervously played with my hands in my lap, tugging at my fingers and scratching the skin around my nails.

Misty placed her hand in the small of my back and I froze in the same way I did when she touched my leg. It was like she had this effect over me where a single touch could have me paralyzed. "You know," she husked, "they say that people subconsciously rock themselves when they're distressed to imitate their mother comforting them as a baby." _Had I been rocking? I hadn't noticed._

The warmth radiating from Misty's palm briefly stopped me from moving, but I brushed it off and stood up from the bed. "Fiona was never a comforting mother." I folded my arms and stood in the middle of the floor watching my feet.

It didn't take long for Misty to join me in standing, but she kept her distance. "Miss Cordelia," her use of my name almost made me look up, but I couldn't bear to look at her. "I'm surprised you thought I didn't feel the same way." My head rushed similarly to the way it does before you pass out. My heart fluttered in a way that felt foreign and the smile that urged its way onto my face made my cheeks ache. "I thought it was obvious." The whole time, I'd assumed it was unrequited. I felt like I was being transported back to my first crush in high school, except this time, everything I was feeling was more intense.

However, my moment of excitement was short-lived as I remembered my morals. Dating someone within the coven just wasn't something I could do. My smile quickly faded and I kept my eyes fixed on my feet. Misty took a few steps towards me and tried to take my hands in hers, but I jerked away from her touch. "We can't do this," I went back to sit on the edge of the bed and sighed, " _I_ can't do this." I felt like I was so close to having Misty, and yet she was slipping through my fingers at my own fault.

Gentle footsteps crept towards me and her body perched next to me on the mattress. "You want to though." The country twang in her throat seemed so seductive and when her fingertips slid across my thigh, I knew that all the demons in hell wouldn't let me stop this from happening. I caved and looked into her gentle eyes. Suddenly, nothing else mattered. Her gaze flickered down to my lips briefly, and then she closed the distance between us. Nothing could have prepared me for the way my heart stuttered the moment her lips touched mine. At first it was soft, but she responded to the kiss and made it perfectly firm at the same time. I pressed my eyes shut harder and tried not to smile too hard against her lips.

To my surprise, I was the first to pull away, and I quickly looked down, hiding my smile from her. She giggled at my response, which caused me to laugh too. Removing her fingers from my thigh, she reached up and tucked my hair behind my ear, which encouraged my eyes back up to meet her. From there, she cupped my cheek and gently pulled me back into another kiss. This one was even better than the last and her velvet lips were sending me dizzy. Conjuring up some courage of my own, I delicately eased my touch nervously onto her leg. She smiled against me and began lightly sliding her thumb across my cheekbone.

The nerves in my stomach gently faded and excitement took over. I slid my hand up Misty's leg to her waist and tugged her closer to me. She dragged her fingertips over my skin to the back of my neck, where she curled them into my hair. This allowed her to tug me into her softly. It was then I noticed the soft moans echoing behind her teeth. They were almost unnoticeable, but every now and again I'd feel the gentle vibrations against my lips from when she'd clumsily let them escape. Finding myself getting lost in the pressure between our lips, Misty caught me off guard when she captured my bottom lip between her teeth. My breath audibly hitched, and when she pulled away, I opened my eyes only to find her smirking. Misty's eyes had darkened with desire, and it was almost like she'd changed completely. Her lustful glare forced shivers across my body even though the heat engulfing my core was enough to make me weak.

Shifting backwards on the bed, Misty created enough space from the edge so that she could still sit up comfortably. She then guided me to straddle her hips and wrapped her arms around my waist so that I wouldn't fall. Giggles absorbed the little space between us and my insides fizzed from the intense elation she had rattling through my system. I took this opportunity to brush my fingertips over her skin and acquaint myself with all of her tiny imperfections. The small freckle on her left cheek; the creases and dimples at the end of her smile. Every pore, every hair, and every inch of her I could possibly remember. Lacking sight made me appreciate the beauty in existence once I could see again, and I would spend every moment admiring Misty if I could. When my world turns black, I want her to be the only thing that exists in my memory.

Finally resting my touch on her jaw, I dipped in to kiss her. Being on top encouraged me to take control and I quickly found myself dominating the kiss. The sound of our lips smacking together was only just detectable over my heartbeat pounding in my ears. Misty glided her hands under my shirt and her warmness tingled my skin. I grabbed the collar of her nightgown and pulled until the first few buttons broke free. She gasped, but I didn't give her long to react as I hastily got to undoing the rest of them. Once they were loose, I gently eased the fabric off her shoulders and lightly trailed my fingertips along her spine. Goosebumps erupted across Misty's skin and her consequential shudder was enough to make me bite my lip.

Tightening her grasp around my waist, she lifted us from the bed and flipped us over. Instinctively, I crawled back, positioning my head closer to the pillow. Misty then stepped out of her dress before crawling across the bed and laid her body between my legs. I barely had time to soak in the fact that Misty was undressed before we were once again kissing. She gently rocked her hips into mine as I let my fingers dance over her skin. Dragging my nails down her sides, I ran the pads of my thumbs over her ribs. I was becoming infatuated with the composition of her body and I wanted to make sure I cherished it.

With one hand, Misty slowly undid the buttons on my blouse before I helped her take it off completely. Her eyes wandered across my chest and she paused for a moment before lowering her lips back onto mine. This time instead of lingering, she trailed downwards to my neck. I felt her suck lightly, and for once in my life, I didn't care if it left any marks. The idea of Misty leaving her own, personal stamp on my body made my heart swell. Misty continued downwards and stopped when she got to the layer of black lace. Looking up at me through heavy eyelashes, she smirked and whispered, "This is gonna have to go." I arched my back enough for her to reach under and unfasten it. Throwing my bra to one side, I then reached up to wrap my arms around her neck and brought her back down to kiss me again.

With her body hovering above me, Misty swept her hands across my bare torso. Her warmth contacting my coldness stung as it sliced into my flesh. I had to make a conscious effort not to shiver every time she touched me. However, with all the exploration, it wasn't long until she found the button on my pants and she was hasty in undoing it. I gasped and looked down at the space between us. She rested her palm on my abdomen until I glanced up and finally locked eyes with her. Never breaking contact, she slowly slid her fingers inside my pants, skimming her fingers along the hem of my underwear. I could tell she was watching me for any sign of hesitation, but I'm sure everything in my eyes was begging for her to continue when she cautiously plunged inside.

I'd been too busy kissing Misty to notice the intense aching, but when she touched me, it was like a wave crashed over me and buried me under a vast ocean. Misty began twirling her fingers and I tilted my head back to rest on the pillow. Despite how my brain was screaming, I bit down hard on my bottom lip to prevent the escape of my acoustic gratification. My Cajun companion didn't seem to mind and eagerly quickened her movements. Soon enough, I was writhing underneath her, unable to contain the pressure crushing my guts. My breathing escalated and labored exhales flooded into the air. That's when I noticed the sway of Misty's hips as they rocked back and forth with the rhythm of her hand. Her brow was knotted and a slight sheen of sweat masked her complexion. Tangling my fingers in Misty's golden curls, I eased eyes my shut and focused solely on her spiraling touch.

My eyes snapped open when Misty abruptly withdrew her hand. I suppressed the squirms devouring my limbs, but Misty didn't prolong my struggle and pinned my wrists above my head. Taking a moment to appreciate the blonde straddling my hips, I realized that dominant Misty was about to become my new obsession. She bit her lip at me before diving in to kiss my neck. She took her time in brushing her teeth and lips over my skin, but gradually lowered herself down my body. I glanced down and watched as she tenderly littered kisses over my stomach. The balance between sultry and cuteness wavered and something about Misty's action gave me an overwhelming sensation of endearment. With a failed marriage and several other bad experiences in my repertoire, it had been a long time since I'd experienced love with another person. Engaging with Misty in this way reminded me of all the reasons why I'd pined after love rather than fervently avoided it.

During her descent, I wondered briefly whether or not Misty had done this before, but by the time she was hooking her fingers into my clothes and dragging them down my thighs, I couldn't have cared less. She brought her hands back up to my hips and pressed her nails into the skin. I winced in response, but as she closed the distance between her tongue and my arousal, it was quickly replaced with moans and incoherent mumblings. Within moments, I had my knuckles white around the bars of the headboard. Misty gripped my hips, pressing her thumbs hard into the bone, and pulled me onto her. I tried to grind my hips slowly in time with her, but found myself shaking in her hold.

The circular motions she had programmed into her tongue seemed to reflect into my own body. My toes curled as I pushed my feet helplessly into the mattress for support. Each time I closed my eyes my head would spin in the flood of dazed ecstasy. Every so often, she'd hit the perfect spot and my eyes would roll back in their sockets. Our orbits were entwined and forcing our atmospheres to merge.

Increasing her pace, Misty grabbed my thighs and spread them further apart. Her hair was splayed across my stomach, the thick waves tickling slightly as they floated along my skin. My body became more frenzied and I began pushing my hips up to meet her tongue. I looked down at Misty, finding myself still in awe of the image I'd convinced myself would only be present in my dreams. However, it was then that my fleeting grasp on composure was lost completely and I was forced to return my sight back to the ceiling. Grabbing the bed sheets in fists, I arched my back, sucking in as much air as I could. My lungs were burning in their cage like they had forgotten how to work. Soundless pleads tumbled from my lips and mingled with timid whispers in the air. The building between my legs was now overwhelming and I knew I didn't have long left.

I weaved fingers into Misty's hair, and pushed her onto me harder. My muscles tensed and I felt my nails sink deeper into Misty's scalp. Slamming my eyes shut, fireworks erupted behind my eyelids and mirrored the ones engulfing my insides. I couldn't hold back my moans anymore, releasing them loudly into the room. I didn't care if anyone heard. I was too far-gone into the darkest depths of pleasure and return was not even considerable at this point. Heat prickled my across my skin as I finally let go. The sudden lax of my muscles dropped me down onto the mattress and I removed my touch from Misty's hair. My chest heaved and glowed a light shade was red I was sure was evident in my checks. The aches accumulated in my limbs disappeared and I let my head swim in the waters Misty had me drowning in.

Eventually, the angry waves subsided back to their mellow rhythm and the stars flashing behind my eyes faded to black. Misty slowed her tongue and graduated into placing light kisses until the pulses had dissipated. She softly kissed the insides of my thighs and lingered there slightly before ascending back up my body. I opened my eyes and smiled as she grinned back lovingly. Wrapping my arms around her in a sweaty embrace, I encouraged our lips to meet. The taste of me laced her lips and knowing that I was finally hers made the butterflies return in my stomach.

Pulling away, Misty then laid her head on my sternum, lazily drawing shapes on my skin. I combed my fingers through her hair and brushed it out of her face. As my heart rate declined back to normal, I listened to our gentle exhales and basked in the sublimity of the moment. However, after a few moments of stillness with the promise of sleep becoming a reality, Misty gently spoke and broke the silence. "What do we do now?"

For a few moments I pondered her question and realized I'd not put any thought into the logistics of a relationship with Misty or what we'd actually do if we ever got this far. I almost wanted to laugh at our naivety, but instead smiled faintly. Tucking hair behind her ear, I closed my eyes and reveled in the feeling of her lay between my legs. "I have no idea."


End file.
